#BookReview: Worst-Kept Secret by Sienna Cash

Reviewer: Emma

I received a review copy

Summary:

No one wants to move back home at twenty-six—especially not Charlie Michaelsen, and *especially* not if it means dealing with her overbearing sister, not to mention confronting six years’ worth of unresolved grief over her dad’s death. But when reclaiming her childhood bedroom coincides with reconnecting with her long-lost high-school sweetheart, it feels like a sign.

Next door, Wade Hunter has moved home, too. Charlie hasn’t seen her neighbor since he was an awkward tween, still using the shared treehouse that had defined her own childhood. Now he’s back, a nineteen-year-old college student with secrets of his own—and embarrassingly gorgeous to boot.

As her ex-boyfriend frustrates her—are they just friends with benefits?—Charlie turns more and more to the kid next door. Along the way their running dates and casual conversations give way to something that feels like anything but “just friends.” Simple lust? That’s the easy answer. But maybe there’s a deeper reason why the only person Charlie can talk to—and be real with—is the teenaged boy next door.

WORST-KEPT SECRET is a sexy, poignant tale about love, grief, family, and childhood… and how sometimes going home means growing up.

Review:

This book immediately drew me in with this relatability and realness. As soon as I began reading, I felt like I had stepped into the story. The characters are so complex, yet simple and the way the author describes them just makes sense. I could totally understand Charlie’s mid-twenties “crisis”, the decision to move home after being fired and dumped by her serious boyfriend. Her adjustment back to her hometown – moving into her childhood house, seeing old high school friends and boyfriend, and having to deal with her rude sister kept me flipping the pages. The chapters are short, which I love, and the story moved at the perfect pace, with just the right amount of flashbacks. This plot could have gone so cliché, but the author did an am amazing job of making the story authentic and intriguing.